The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-07-21

reported to Gen. Birge before h. was out of the
woods or had formed his line. AT his request
j took a squad Of mounted mon and non-com-
missionod officers and attempted TO learn some
thing Of the country on our right front, but
whenever we noared the open we were fired on
and driven back.
ON reioininF Gen. Riree with this informa-
ton, ] found him in line Of battle alosg fence
and edge Of thick~t. On his left front was a
broad open field, with no fences, morass aud
steep ascent intervening between him aud the
Confederate troops who were not only in force
but irritable. His skirnishers were about half
way across the open and the Confederate line
was also pushed well out in the feld. Brgc's
front line was lying down behind the fence and
under cover, his supports behind ridge In
rear Of the FIRST.
The arrival Of r mounted party az once
awakened Confederate interest, which was
shown in such close practice by sharpshOoteTs
that all dismOuntcd and had their horses held
behind the ridge l have mentioned. After re-
manning in this position a few minutes, having
ia mind my instructions the necessity Of getting
our bridge down that day, and the fact of tho
rear-guard being engaged with artillery, which
looked serious / requested Gen. Birge 10 let
me have the regiment ia our immediate front,
and stated that II he would support il ] was
confident that we could carry the Confederate
4 position. This the General declined 10 do with
some abruptncss.
After further interval. during which our
skirmishcrs had commenced 10 yield under the
advance OF the Confederate line, and during
which the reserves were plainly in sight de-
scending the slopes Of their position, with a
view TO sustain their ADVANCE, ! made second
request rs before. This time Gen. Birge di-
rectcd me 10 do as ] requested. Suffice IL 10
/ say that the regiment in question at once re-
! spouded, and without halt or slackening Of
] RNNn
safily had TO be crossed by jumping from bog
90 bog, reached the foot Of the sharp ascent
that led 20 the Confederate position. Here we
/ paused for a moment 10 reform about the col
0rs, which had changed hands more than once
/ (so was informed AT the time) in crossing, aud
moving 10 the right, the slope being easier, we
made tie rush for the crest. On reaching it
we ran on top of the Confederate line of battle,
( the COlor-Sereoant OF one of their regiments
being not farther than 10 OF 10 yards from me.
! fell on my hands and knees and ordered the
| vOilcv that had been held while we were cross
! ing. This was too much for even Texan endur-
ance, and as we jumped forward again, this
line mounted Infantry were already inter-
viewing their horse holders.
Ny Confederate friend with the colors, hav-
ing just started, left MS al every step, aud the
last / saw Of him he was going for his own
State, with his colOrs like lance rolled on the
stat. aud ] remember even in the hurry mo-
ticcd that he had fed well. As ] started to re-
turn the New York Zouave regiment l65th ]
think, passed me on the rush, its senior Cap
tain lInwOod. heard,) in advance and CON-
mand, his cOlors beside him, and very pretty
picture they made The fire on the right and
left Of the break we had made in the COnied-
crate line was still exceedingly sharp. and il
was then, and not before. that the casualties
mentioned in your descriptions took place,
when Col. Fessenden was wounded, aud no
troops advanced rs a brigade until then.
The facts / have given above were at the
time perfectly well understood, and uncontra-
dicted by Gen. Birge, commanding the detached
column; by Gen. w. B. Franklin, commanding
his corps; at the headquarters OF the army, and
more than all, by the brave fellows in that
regiment who faced the music" with me, and
particularly by those color-bearers who kept
them up and moving, even when some of them
must have heard at the outset the protest Of q
field officer Of their regiment against exposing
them 10 the chance OF capture. i have the au'
tographic official correspondence in regard tc
this affair, but j hope this letter will evoke
from my comrades of that day the corrobora
tive statements in their power, without regard
10 the fact that we never met but that once
WILLIAM s. BEEBE, Brevet Major y. S. Army
Ordnance Officer, Led River Expedition, Thomp
son. Conn.